ring the
feet of animals; and this stratagem was so far successful that
the pursuers soon found themselves in difficulties, and the armies
respectively retired, without any decisive result, to their camps.

The next day there was again a combat from morning to night, of which
we have no description, but which equally terminated without any clear
advantage to either side. The fight was then renewed for the third time
on the third day, with the difference that the Parthians now directed
all their efforts towards surrounding the enemy, and thus capturing
their entire force. As they greatly outnumbered the Romans, these last
found themselves compelled to extend their line unduly, in order to meet
the Parthian tactics; and the weakness of the extended line seems to
have given the Parthians an opportunity of throwing it into confusion,
and thus causing the Roman defeat. Macrinus took to flight among the
first; and his hasty retreat discouraged his troops, who soon afterwards
acknowledged themselves beaten, and retired within the lines of their
camp. Both armies had suffered severely. Herodian describes the heaps
of dead as piled to such a height that the manoeuvres of the troops were
impeded by them, and at last the two contending hosts could scarcely
see one another! Both armies, therefore, desired peace. The soldiers
of Macrinus, who had never had much confidence in their leader, were
demoralized by ill success, and showed themselves inclined to throw off
the restraints of discipline. Those of Artabanus, a militia rather than
a standing force, were unaccustomed to sustained efforts; and having
been now for some months in the field, had grown weary, and wished to
return home. Macrinus under these circumstances re-opened negotiations
with his adversary. He was prepared to concede something more than he
had proposed originally, and he had reason to believe that the Parthian
monarch, having found the Roman resistance so stubborn, would be content
to insist on less. The event justified his expectations. Artabanus
relinquished his demand for the cession of Mesopotamia, and accepted a
pecuniary compensation for his wrongs. Besides restoring the captives
and the booty carried off by Caracallus in his raid, Macrinus had to pay
a sum exceeding a million and a half of our money. Rome thus concluded
her transactions with Parthia, after nearly three centuries of struggle,
by ignominiously purchasing a peace.

It might have been expecte